A Cautionary Tail supports headspace

01/06/2012

headspace Central Sydney is proud to be the charity partner of
"A Cautionary Tail", a short animated film about a girl born with a
tail who stands up to bullies to embrace her difference.

Starring Cate Blanchett, David Wenham and Barry Otto,
the film will make its debut at
international festivals this year. The film is a dark, funny
fable by writer Erica Harrison, directed by Simon Rippingale and
produced by Pauline Piper.

Up to half of all Australian school students have reported being
victimised or bullied in some form. "Bullying is not simply 'part
of growing up'. It is a destructive issue that can have serious
effects on a young person's physical and mental health" said
Professor Ian Hickie, Executive Director of the University of
Sydney's Brain and Mind Research Institute, lead agency for
headspace Central Sydney.

Funds raised at the "A Cautionary Tail" exhibition next week
aims to give up to 40 young people an opportunity to attend a
bullying skills workshop in their school holidays.

"Young people under around 16 years of age often don't have the
skills or support to cope with bullying at high school" said
Hickie.

The workshops help young people challenge negativity and cope
with stressful situations, as well as celebrating individual
strengths to build confidence and self esteem, encouraging healthy
social relationships and teaching proactive anti-bullying
strategies to minimise playground and cyber bullying.

"headspace offers early intervention for young people going
through a tough time, and very often being bullied can trigger
mental health issues in young people.

"The messages in A Cautionary Tail will resonate with a lot of
people. It's not just about bullying, it's about fitting in and
being accepted, experiencing depression and feeling anxious" said
Hickie.

Parents and carers can assist their child by looking out for the
signs of victimisation (such as cuts and bruises, becoming
withdrawn, having nightmares, losing or having damaged possessions,
not wanting to go to school), by developing their skills to respond
to bullying behavior, and by helping them build resilience and
broader social skills.

If you or someone you know is experiencing bullying, headspace
is somewhere you can go to talk about bullying and many other
issues. To find out if there is a headspace centre near you please
visit www.headspace.org.au.

We acknowledge that headspace is in a unique position in the Australian youth space and recognise that we can make a positive contribution to the lives of young people. As our small contribution to Indigenous reconciliation and reducing racism and other forms of discrimination - we acknowledge, the wise people of our Indigenous communities, past and present who are the foundations of this great country of ours. We acknowledge that we share this land with the traditional owners and custodians.